Naim Nac72, HiCap and NAP 180 all connected with Black Snaic cables. Naim NACA5 speaker cable.
Sources
WiiM Pro Plus streamer
Marantz cd 63 ki signature cd player
Project Debut Carbon Esprit SB Turntable with AT CO9XEN MC Cartridge, Aluminium sub platter, new belt and bearing oil. It is seated on a heavy spiked plinth to help stop vibration.
I have Chord Chrysalis interconnect for the streamer which goes to the tuner input with a 5 pin din phono adapter.
The CD player is connected to the auxiliary input with a Chord Chrysalis with BNC Adapters.
My Turntable has a 2 metre cheap copper cable with BNC Adapters to the phono input on the Nac 72, I have the K Board in and it sounds better than great.
Speaker System
Original Linn Kan mk1 on original Linn Stands.
My question is I have been unhappy with the sound of the system and struggling to want to listen to it. I have replaced all the interconnects with the ones above from R A KCAG to all copper cables and the difference is amazing and I can listen to it for a long time and enjoy the time spent. I know the Chrysalis interconnects are only found on the used market. What new cable’s would you suggest for all three components. All amps and HiCap have been Serviced in Sheffield.
Finally is it ok to use the adapters in the short term and will they cause any issues.
Hi Bern, Naim amps tend to show the true sound of the source. I think your cd player does sound good as it got the fat sound of TDA1540 which really fill up the Kan like old skool turntables. I would highly recommend to scrape the adapters – anything goes through it sounds grey, dull and kills dynamics. Get a Naim or Chord’s RCA-DIN cable, sounds best with the tuner port.
I also worry if the heavily damped turntable will sound thin, because the low ends may have lost due to that, and then sounds thin with 180 and Kan – imho 180 can’t fill the Kan full. You may try remove the plinth and see if everything sounds better.
WiiM will be my last choice of source and I would rather use those buffered ports with it.
I removed the isolation platform and yes the sound from the turntable improved massively. The top end sounded more open and the bass seems better, the vocals more open as well. Everything is more and focused. I wouldn’t of thought the isolation platform would degrade the sound the way it did. Thank you for your help. It just proves everyday is a school day in the hifi world. Thanks again for your support and advice.
Glad to help Bern, we all learn a bit from everyday’s fiddling. And if you could get the turntable totally levelled you will be surprised how good the turntable and Naim amps can sound.
I agree 100% with the comments about using adapters. They are a bad thing so you need to get properly terminated cables. With your system I would just stick with Naim lavender interconnects terminated appropriately which are easily available and probably the best thing to use with this system at any price.
It’s important to get the Kans set up properly. The stands must be rigid on the floor and as close to a solid rear wall as possible. The Kans were always happiest with analogue sources, and really needed an LP12 to sing. So frankly I’m not really surprised that you aren’t getting great results. The Kans really need pampering or they will sound either very ordinary or horrible.
Bottom line and easiest solution - get more suitable speakers. Kans are superb in the right system. This just isn’t the right system and you’re fighting a losing battle trying to get acceptable results. Sorry I can’t be more positive but that’s the way it is and there’s no point pretending otherwise.
As a temporary solution I would rather use the adapter than have RCA connected on both ends, as the preamp will see a single ground reference. As a permanent solution I agree a cable properly terminated is the way to go, although for peace of mind since more than SQ since I’ve tested the Mayware adapter thoughly and could not perceive any difference.
Very true. Indeed my CDS1 as a digital source works really well with Kan MK1, best I ever heard. Only until a LP12 steps in and the whole perspective changed. Still recall an interview of JV once said LP12 and Kan was designed as a chain.
Without a LP12 it took me a perfect setup and whole Naim top-flight olive to tame it, but with a well-sorted LP12 a Nait 1 is good enough.
My experience exactly. I agree the CDS1 is the best digital source I’ve heard with the Kans. We could only afford the CDI back then but it was still good. But as soon as you switch back to the LP12 it becomes obvious that it’s so much more musical. The Kans thrive on the LP12 and as you point out with JV’s comment they were designed specifically to complement it. Anything else just really won’t do.
Thank you for your feedback, I truly appreciate your information and help.
What speakers would you suggest, I have some Monitor Audio BX2 speakers and Ruark Icon speakers boxed away. Do you think either of these speakers be up to the task, better than the Linn Kan mk1 speakers.
Hi, it’s very difficult to give meaningful speaker recommendations as they are such a personal thing. I’m not familair with the MA BX2’s or the Ruarks that you have but why not give them a whirl and see what you think?
Sorry if it sounds like I’m being negative here, but the main problem with your set up, apart from the Kans which are just a real no-no in it, is that you have a superb amp in the 72/Hicap/180 but all your sources are mediocre and not really up to the job of feeding it. I know it’s a second system so you presumably don’t want to invest in better sources.
It’s difficult to know what to say. Ideally you would get a much better source/sources. As far as speakers go I would be looking at things like the Neat Petite Classic and Epos ES7N. But in the context of your sources these just don’t really make sense.
In all honesty if it were my system I would forget buying speakers at this stage. You already have the MA’s and Ruarks, both of which are likely to be much better than Kans in this context. Focus instead on the source. I would decide which you prefer, vinyl, CD or streaming, and just aim to get the very best source you can to complement your amp. That would make far more sense than buying new speakers. If you were to get a used LP12 then you could even keep the Kans and that would make a really excellent system. That’s what I would do. If you could stretch to this then you’ll have one of the most musical systems it’s possible to buy at any price. I see you have an LP12 in your main system, and Saras. Lovely. Yes if it were me then I would aim to get either a new or used LP12 to go with your 72/HiCap/180 and Kans. That to me makes perfect sense.
I think Pete was saying ‘the best performance’ – if everything sounds fine to you also good to just leave it. If you like what Kan does there are no other speakers in the market, or historically do the same thing.
Otherwise there are plenty of choices doing the typical hifi things and go well with Naim olive, I would say any speakers love large peak current amps, especially British speakers.
Put more succinctly with the 72/HiCap/180 and Kans you have the makings of a truly superb system. All you need is an LP12 to finish it off. In practice as good a system as anyone really needs and as musical as they come.
I tried the MA BX2 Speakers they are ok, but not with this Naim setup. The Ruark Icon speakers sounded very warm and detailed. I could live with them very easily. The LP12 with the Kans sounded very nice, as expected. I think I will be the owner of 2 LP12 this year. I tried the LP12 with the Ruark Icon and it proved the source is a significant contribution.
The Kan is a great speaker and sounds very detail and makes you listen, but the Ruark Icon left a very positive message with the LP12 playing through them. It’s has surprised me how good the Ruark Icon and the Naim amps with the LP12 sounds together. I just expected the Kan to be the better speaker by a long way.
It certainly was not, the Ruark might be replacing the Kan.
After all the messing around with speakers and turntables. I came home from a weekend away in Scotland. Thought I would watch a little bit of TV. Minutes into the watch my AV Amplifier went pop and destroyed it self. Tried to re-start it and no it was going to hi-fi heaven.
So I got a replacement and set it up, didn’t sound like my old amp. I changed the speakers with my Ruark Icon. Which were going to be used with the second Naim system. I put the Ruark Icon on the AV system and Ruark Dialogue one centre speaker and yes great back to film enjoyment and happiness.
My Linn Keiledh from the AV system are having to replace the Ruark Icon with the Naim and they are a very good substitute. They do sound better than when they were with the AV setup, the WiiM Pro Plus streamer sounds better and more fun. I am enjoying the Linn and Naim combination they seem to just have a great synergy.
The Linn Keiledh have some of the attributes of the Kan and the Ruark Icon, I think they are a win win situation. Still going to get an LP12 for the system.
